The FLAMES are passive devices with multiple photodiodes connected in series and activated at near infrared wavelenths. Devices at submillimeter scale were designed for wireless activation of neurons in the central nervous system. Prototypes were fabricated by Dr. Unlu's group at Boston University and tested in the rat sciatic nerve by our group. The results demonstrated the feasility of neural stimulation using optically activated floating microstimulators (NIH Neural Interface Workshop Poster). A finite element software package was utilized for modeling the voltage field generated in a volume conductor (Sahin and Syed, 2007).

This project is currently funded by NIH/NINDS Neural Prosthesis Program.